This invention relates generally, as indicated, to plastic fencing having reflective tape applied thereto to make the fencing more visible at night or under other conditions of poor visibility when used as a visual warning barrier around construction sites and the like.
It is generally known to apply glass beads to plastic fencing to make the fencing more visible under poor lighting conditions. One of the problems with using glass beads is that they must be applied in a secondary operation making the fencing more costly. Also, when the fencing is cleaned of mud and the like in the field, the cleaning operation oftentimes strips the glue and the glass beads off of the fencing.
Reflective tape has also been applied to plastic fencing to make the fencing more visible under poor lighting conditions. However, keeping the tape adhered to the fencing has been a major problem. Fencing with fewer and smaller holes has been tried to provide increased surface area for the reflective tape to better adhere. It is known, for example, to eliminate entire rows of holes in the plastic fencing to provide more surface area for the tape to adhere to. However, this requires the use of additional plastic material which adds to the cost of the fencing. Also, the increased surface area substantially increases the wind resistance of the fencing, thus rendering the fencing less stable and more easily blown by the wind. A further problem encountered is that when reflective tape with a pressure sensitive adhesive backing is applied to plastic fencing, the reflective tape has a tendency to wrinkle, especially when the fencing is rolled up for storage and transported to a job site and unrolled for reuse.